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Sun, 23 Mar 2014 22:16:26 +0000
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Comment on Pick a color by bhccbus101 https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/pick-a-color/comment-page-1/#comment-93
Sun, 23 Mar 2014 22:16:26 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-93This reading made me look at all five lives combined and individually, because of their characters. They all had belief and hope in common. They seemed to believe in something bigger than themselves, which was God.
At the end of the reading, the black man and the yellow priest are looking at the silvery God as if they know achieved some type of purpose and a sense of hope that they haven’t felt before in their lives. The fact that the silvery God, too was suffering, it was kind of like they could breathe and be ok with how their lives turned out to be, because at the end they all suffered in their own ways.
– Galem
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Comment on Pick a color by Kristen T https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/pick-a-color/comment-page-1/#comment-92
Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:06:17 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-92To be completely brutally honest, I was not too particularly fond of this piece by Etgar Keret. It is very relatable to the problem of evil in the sense that this fictional piece of literature gives reason to why the world might be afflicted with evil even under the authority of a God. The kind of evil that he portrays is authentic and true to the evils that are portrayed in the world that we live in. However, justifying the cause of evil with the theory that God is disabled and troubled himself seems like a lazy and unthoughtful excuse.

“I created you like this because this is what I know. It’s the best I can do.”
No doubt that this is an interesting theory however, being that it does not seem well thought out or even well articulated.

-Kristen Thiess

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Comment on Pick a color by K Bilimoria Puri https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/pick-a-color/comment-page-1/#comment-91
Fri, 21 Mar 2014 20:42:03 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-91This passage makes a great connection to the problem of evil. In my understanding, the passage attempts to justify the presence of evil by bringing forth the claims that god is omnipotent and refuting them. The passage brings to notice a few of the major problems faced in the world, and tries to justify their presence by portraying a god who is not omnipotent. It brings to attention how people feel frustrated when all their prayers or blessings are not reciprocated. Additionally, it suggests that who we call god is merely an entity above whom others exist and over whom others can exert their influence. In other words, it means that he is not the highest rung of the ladder, but that there are more rungs beyond his level. This hint further suggests that the god we believe in may not be all powerful, and even though he holds benevolent intentions and the desire to address all of them, due to his inability to act on those intentions, the problem of evil exists in the world.
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Comment on Pick a color by kevin casimir https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/pick-a-color/comment-page-1/#comment-90
Wed, 19 Mar 2014 04:29:19 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-90Reading this story the first time through, it was hard to suspend disbelief. After I got beyond being befuddled though, I laughed, and couldn’t help but ponder at the literary genre this falls under. Maybe satire? Maybe definitely not. However, maybe we can agree that the token and liberal use of the concept of color in this text must be some form of verbal irony; because it’s suspected that something unexpected is ironic. There’s so much more irony though, and I can prove it:
As to the problem of evil, the yellow priest in the story certainly wrestles with it violetly. The author, for the sake of narrative, temporarily dissolves this timeless problem with the Gnostic notion that a silver God, whom presumably isn’t omniscient considering his own ”beloved silver” was killed by golden Gods, and created a species ”in His own image.”
Notice how the author deliberately uses the words of counterfeit-silver God to ultimately allude to the idea that we’re all created in His [sic] silvery image — the white man, the yellow man, the brown man, the black one, and white woman. Who would’ve thought? Now I can finally sleep at night.
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Comment on Pick a color by Julianne Ferguson https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/pick-a-color/comment-page-1/#comment-88
Thu, 13 Mar 2014 22:00:59 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=741#comment-88Id say Pick a Color relates to the Problems of Evil by showing a different kind of God that we are used to hearing and reading about. A God that is more human in the sense he gets punished as well, for doing something wrong. We have always been told to do what we are told and follow rules or there will be a bad outcome in the after life. Just seeing a different perspective was really interesting seeing a more humane empathetic god. I enjoyed the reading-Julianne F.
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Comment on 1/29 by Jamie O'Meara https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/129/comment-page-1/#comment-83
Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:33:23 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=664#comment-83After watching the video in class on Wednesday, I had felt comfort in my beliefs. For years I have believed in individual art and inspiration. The government corrupts the minds of all to get a sense of order and control. I wish that kids were influenced to go with there heart, whether it be Music, Math, Science, Construction etc. I also could relate to this video because I have attention deficit disorder. I was manipulated into believing that I needed medicine like Ritalin to be successful and go to college, to get a job. They were wrong, I had stopped meds my junior year of high school and had then found my passion. Music. Screw the government. I support this video and everything about it.
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Comment on 1/29 by kevin casimir https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/129/comment-page-1/#comment-82
Sun, 02 Feb 2014 19:50:16 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=664#comment-82This video is interesting, and for me it begs the immediatly important question of whether the ongoing collapse of the opposition of private and public life in our advanced industrial society will lead to a moral qualitative change, a more flexible education system, or more anomie and people underachieving .
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Comment on For MONDAY by Julianne Ferguson https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/for-monday/comment-page-1/#comment-81
Fri, 31 Jan 2014 22:58:26 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=661#comment-81I liked the video we watched in class on wed its funny when you’re in school elementary particularly you don’t realize you are being kind of conformed to have everything separated such as age, gender,and your studies. Now being in college it is really different in a good way to be among people of different ages and culture it really opens a whole new door of experiences. In the video I liked how the narrator explained things using humor and artistic ability to interest his viewers.
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Comment on by Melon Lord https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/495/comment-page-1/#comment-73
Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:37:38 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/?p=495#comment-73This was an amazing story. I love how it flowed and the message behind it. I used to be in a program for leadership and the one quote I will never forget is, “When in doubt, reach out”. This entire video had reminded me of that and the fact that asking for help is not a shameful act. Asking is just the process of the mind of those who are curious about the things in life that happen. (Will plan to re-blog more of my thoughts on my personal online portfolio soon. Stay Tuned?!)
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Comment on by Sodavy Pou https://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/477/comment-page-1/#comment-70
Tue, 12 Mar 2013 02:17:15 +0000http://basicphilosophy.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/477/#comment-70Summary Revision
Group: Sodavy Pou, Kae Austin, Yuri Martinez, Leesa Tran
03/11/13

Overall theme: Feminist utopia that results as a reaction to severe and deep inequalities between the sexes in terms of employment opportunities, wage/benefits, and expected gender roles.

Main philosophy of society: Utopia meant to comment on the lack of a matriarchal society in current Western culture. Every society has its forefathers, but there is often very little history on pioneering women in these societies. What if a utopian society were operated by women? This matriarchal society serves as an answer to a patriarchal society.

This idea is a utopian society but not a utopian world. Oppressed, but accomplished women would have their own heavily-defended island where they can prosper in any employment field, and their government would be more cooperative and hands-on. The government is similar to a direct democracy in its roots, but has a few characteristics similar to representative democracy for better large-scale functionality. While the present culture of the society is not misandristic, the identities and abilities of the residents would not be measured against that of men but against their very own peers—other women.

In this society, the women have developed their own religion. This religion stems from the idea of Mother Earth and other various goddesses that remind the women of their everyday lives and how they came to be. The main goddesses represent the four seasons of autumn, winter, spring, and summer and all the gifts each season can bring to this society. Seasonal changes in this society are much like the seasonal changes of New England. Autumn brings apples, gourds, radishes, carrots, and lettuce. Winter brings frost, ice, and snow which allows for the crops to rest and help replenish the water supply surrounding the island. Spring brings oats, barley, wheat, and other grains. Summer brings water-rich produce such as peaches, strawberries, watermelon, cherries, tomatoes, and cucumbers. These seasons supply the island’s population with dependable food sources. One other notable figure is the goddess of prosperity and fertility who is often represented in the form of a female scientist in a lab coat.

The island contributes to the greater world with its agricultural resources and with its pioneering research in genetic manipulation and modification.

Despite having a fairly older model of religion, this society is highly advanced in most areas especially in “Chromosomal Specification Eugenics”. In this society, eugenics has become such an advanced field that it is the main form of procreation and repopulation. This form of eugenics is only meant to specify an embryo as XX or female. All other aspects of the embryo are left unaltered. Synthetic sperm was created using the DNA from Charles Fourier, a strong supporter of women’s rights and first person credited with the coining of the term “feminism”. This synthetic sperm is utilized to make lab procreation possible and to keep the feminist utopian population going.

Many women who do not completely agree with this form of procreation will sometimes choose to use their own eggs to procreate or employ a member of the government’s matchmaking surrogacy program to carry the embryo/ fetus to term. Others will enlist the services of the government’s procreation bank to help find the DNA of an appropriate donor.
All of the embryos conceived must undergo Chromosomal Specification Eugenics unless the mother intends to leave the island prior to the delivery.

The children who are a product of lab procreation are often raised together as peers or even like sisters. Women who want to experience motherhood outside of biological birth can adopt the children. The children who are not adopted continue to live in a branch of the lab reared by retirees of the surrogacy program until they are old enough to be independent. Each young woman who feels she is ready to be independent of the lab’s assistance must apply, interview, and make a strong case with the lab’s board (also run by the government). The age range which young women raised in the lab’s facilities typically apply for independence is typically from 17 to 20, but there are always a few outliers depending on the person and case.

With its future in technology and sciences, but its roots in Mother Earth and agriculture, this feminist society can be completely self-sufficient and lone standing.

There difference in classes amongst the women, but there is always opportunity to move into a new lifestyle or employment. This society only exists because the inhabitants want to live there. Those who wish for a different lifestyle can choose to leave for another part of the world if they wish. Women with male family members are not admitted to help keep up the standards of the utopia and re-admittance is not possible if there is family separation between the island and other parts of the world. Many inhabitants will view the island as a place of opportunities and use it as a stepping stone to help empower themselves in areas where they were unable to before life on the island. The girls raised on the island will always be aware of the other sex and are given the opportunity to leave for other societies in adulthood. Most women see the island as a place they where they can rightfully be who they want to be and stay for as long as that quality of life is upheld.